Tonight was the Night Out Against Crime in the Mid-City, and b.rox had this to say about the event.
I was writing a comment to his Blog, and then realized that my comment was really a post about the problem of unbridled crime and how I see it in New Orleans. I decided that here is where it belongs.
Here’s what I wrote:
We ARE on our own in this aspect of the City’s rebuilding.
I’m looking forward to getting back into our place in Gentilly, but I do know the neighborhood will be less than 10% re-populated by then. This is not a welcome scenario as our neighborhood pre-Flood was probably the safest area outside of the Isle of Denial, (in truth, it was…), but no longer does that hold true. I see the incursions of those who hold nothing decent or Sacred. To those whom Life means nothing outside of their warrior games.
We are putting in security cameras and automatic gates. We have now opted to go with shatter-proof glass in the windows for both storms and thugs. Our fences, both property and security, will be very hard to deal with if bad creatures decide to break into one of the few lit houses around.
There will be an arsenal at the house: shotguns, rifles, and two pistols. Both of us, and some of our upcoming tenants, are crack shots trained by the military. Most of us have been hurt by these thugs before.
When the sensors are tripped, the lights will blaze, and whilst the aggressors are blinded, the hailstorm begins.
When the NOPD shows up days later (’cause it will take them that longer to find our neighborhood), they’d better be carrying body-bags, because we will have done their J.O.B..
I have seen the swarms as they roam the Marigny and Bywater… seen the same in the 7th Ward. Watched them set up their traps on the edges of the Quarter and the Treme. (I’m not seen as I can walk the shadows.) These conditions cannot be allowed to stand as it is nothing more than preying upon innocents that probably have nothing to do with the cause of the horror.
Social failures and situations cannot excuse these kinds of actions. Many of us who are trying to rebuild in my roaming areas are poor, or at best, Middle-Class. We do not avail ourselves of the barbaric solutions they have chosen in order to correct their or our problems. We are not responsible for the lack of teachings about Human Dignity and Decency… how we function as a group in order to survive the task of living in this World. Those who’s job it was to instill these lessons have totally failed in their task as concerns their folk.
Part of this was the failure of Society, partly the bullshit that came from Racist attitudes (on both sides) and the indifference to our Constitutional mandate to provide for all in Equality. Much came from the indifference of family groups to teach the basic lessons of Humanity when living in a polyglot Culture.
Many of the possible/probable victims in the Future/Past had nothing to do with these failures. Many of us have tried to help eliminate these problems, but all too often we are destroyed, not those who created the situation. (And here in NOLA, we are being left to our own devices when it comes to this scenario.)
I will stand on this issue and the performance of my duties to neighborhood and friends. Same goes for many folk here. Our city’s rebuilding is up to us who ARE rebuilding our homes and lives. Those who would stop or hinder our efforts to save New Orleans must be stopped, one way or another.
The corporations, the rich, the privileged…. they can afford Blackwater to protect their worthless moneyed asses. We common folk must defend ourselves against the horde, and in doing so we save our homeplace and the legacy of place.
New Orleans exists to train the Faithful… and the faithful believe in the importance and Sacredness of this most unique city and Her people. It’s our job to protect Her.
Like I’ve stated before, I believe in St. Joan, and we are her city and people.